Turning Back the Clocks
by Diniseni
Summary: Ashelin and Torn are turned into teens after an accident. When Torn is captured by the guard, the Baron is surprised that he has survived through his experiments. Now with the dark eco inside him, Torn's got to deal with the issues that come with power...
1. The Commander's a teen

Disclaimer: I don't own Jak and Daxter.

You might be wondering why I keep posting thing, and then just leave them. I have writers block. So…I might take a loooong while before I update my other stories. So just sit back and enjoy my weird attempts to get rid of the writers block.

* * *

"I'm pretty sure we cold have done it ourselves."

"Hey, I don't want to be here, and do you here me complaining?"

"Here's a thought, why don't you both shut up?"

"Like that'll happen."

Daxter had been arguing with Torn since they left the HQ.

Jak was supposed to get a really important artefact that the baron stole and hid, but Samos didn't think he could do it himself, so, he sent Torn and Ashelin along.

"It will happen or I'll knock your head off!" Torn said.

"Hey! Don't threaten my best friend!"

"Uh Jak," Ashelin said.

"What?"

"Never mind." Ashelin said. Frankly, she didn't want to be here either, but if it helped the Underground, what the heck. "What's this?"

They were wandering through the mining site but apparently, they'd taken a wrong turn as they stood in front of a dark eco pit.

"Well our last route caved in. No thanks to _someone._" Torn glared at Jak and Daxter. "So we'll have to find another way."

"No duh." Daxter said under his breath.

"Daxter."

"Yes ma'am."

Torn glared at him. "Shut up."

"Hmm… Aha!" Jak pointed to a hole in the ceiling just big enough to stand in. "Now…How to get there…"

Daxter opened his mouth to speak but Jak started again.

"Hey, just because I have dark eco, doesn't mean I'm immune to it. It can still kill me or make me small orange and fuzzy."

"Very funny. We'll just climb then." Daxter said as Jak looked for a place to start.

Ashelin stepped back. "I'm not climbing that. Torn and I are staying here."

"Hey, why do I have t-"

Ashelin growled and Torn shut his mouth.

"We'll see if there's another way." Jak said as he started climbing.

"Uh-huh."

* * *

"Why don't you want to climb?" Torn asked Ashelin.

"I've had…a bad experience with climbing…"

"Oh yeah! I remember that!"

"Hey! If you tell anyone what happened I'll..."

"You'll what?"

"Shut up!"

* * *

Jak could barely here Torn and Ashelin a he climbed higher.

"What now?" Daxter asked.

"Well we gotta get to the whole first. Then…" Jak pulled himself up onto a ledge.

"Then…what?" Daxter said.

"…I have no idea."

Suddenly, there was a large 'CRACK', and the ledge Jak was on lowered a bit.

"What was that" Daxter looked at Jak.

Jak quickly stood up and looked down.

The ledge he was on wasn't strong enough to hold him, and it was falling.

"Let's go!!" Daxter yelled.

* * *

Ashelin watched as the ledge broke from the wall. Jak grabbed the wall, but up where he was, the wall had become slippery, and he slipped and fell.

"We're gonna die!" Daxter yelled as he and Jak fell with the small platform.

Fortunately (maybe unfortunately for Torn) the platform just floated there in the eco.

Jak cracked open an eye to make sure he was safe.

"Oh nice going Jak!!" Torn yelled.

But the voice Jak heard wasn't Torn's.

It was less hoarse, and less harsh.

Jak quickly turned and gawked.

Where Torn and Ashelin where standing were two people with drops of eco (somehow not hurting them) on their bodies, about…13 years of age.

"T-Torn?!" Daxter gawked.

"Yeah. This is great. PERFECT! What am I going to say to my father?" The red head, obviously Ashelin, said.

"Or any one else for that matter." Torn shook eco out of his brown hair. The only good thing about this was that their clothes fit.

* * *

Some how (using my awesome weirdness) the group had made it back empty handed to the Underground HQ. Tess went ballistic.

"T-Torn!? Ashelin!?" Tess looked at Jak. "WHAT HAPPENED!? THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS! HOW'D THIS HAPPEN! I SOULD HANG YOU FOR THIS!"

"Whoa, Tess. Calm down, we'll just find a cure, and it'll be fine!" Ashelin said.

"It was dark eco that did that wasn't it?" Samos Looked at Torn and Ashelin.

"Duh."

The older Samos walked up to them. "I'm sorry, but the world doesn't have the amount of light eco that you need anymore." He shook his head.

"So…We're stuck like this…" Torn's eye twitched. The commander of the Underground was now a teenager.

"Well…unless a miracle happened…" Samos said.

"YES! HAHA!!" Daxter started to jump around the room laughing. "Woohoo!!" He jumped on Torn's head and looked at him up-side-down. "THAT MEANS I'M OLDER THAN YOU! HA!"

Torn grabbed Daxter around the neck and threw him across the room. "Shut up!"

"Hey!" Jak took a step toward Torn but Tess blocked him.

"Shut up Jak. He was asking for it."

"Hey!" Daxter sat up.

"Torn, can we talk? You too Ashelin." The younger Samos took Torn and Ashelin over to the table. "Torn, I'll need you to…how should I say this, give your position to Jak. Seeing as you're only 13, and Daxter's right, Jak is older, and if it got out the commander's only a teenager, the baron would most likely try to over throw us."

"But-"

"Just for now."

"Samos!"

Samos turned to Ashelin. "Ashelin. I'm going to ask you to stay here for the time being."

"But I have to leave, my father thinks I'm doing my rounds. I can't stay here."

"I realise the risk of keeping you here, but think of what would happen if you went back."

Ashelin looked at the ground. "Oh yeah."

"Now I must speak to Jak. Get some rest."

Samos left to talk to Jak.

Ashelin looked at Torn was looking at the ground. "Sorry."

"What?" He looked Ashelin. "Oh, It's no big deal." Torn yawned.

"Hey, for once in a life time, you're tired." Ashelin laughed.

"Oh shhhut up." Torn yawned again and walked to a bunk and fell asleep almost immediately.

"Well, he took that better than I thought." Samos and Jak looked at Torn as he slept.

"So I'm the commander now?"

"Yes."

Jak grinned evilly. Time for some payback. "This is so cool."

* * *

Probably…2 chapters in I'll get writers block again. Tell me what you think.


	2. Rabid orange rat'

Disclaimer: I don't own Jak and Daxter.

Ok, I'll get writers block by the end of this chapter so wish me luck!

* * *

"Why do I have to do this?" Torn stood infront of Jak with a cup in his hand.

"Because I told you to, and I'm commander!" Jak grinned. "Now gimme my cup."

"I didn't do this." Torn said as he glared at Jak.

"Yeah well you sent us on suicide missions."

Suddenly Torn grinned. He sent _Jak._ Not Jak _and _Daxter. Daxter just went along.

"Yeah, about that mission."

"What? You gonna cry 'cause I get to tell you what to do?" Jak laughed.

Ashelin walked up behind Torn smirking. "Shouldn't Daxter be coming to then?"

"Because if memory serves me right. Samos made _you_ commander. Not Daxter." Torn said.

Jak's smile vanished.

"Yeah, well, special circumstances!"

"What? Afraid we're right?" Torn grinned.

"Come on Daxter! You're coming with us!" Ashelin grabbed Daxter as she went for the door.

"Oh yeah, one more thing." Torn said before leaving.

He took Jak's cup and poured its contents on his head.

"That's better." Torn left.

* * *

"Why do I have to come?" Daxter said as he sat on Ashelin's shoulder.

"Because you ain't comman-" Torn was cut off as they were suddenly surrounded by guards.

"It's the scum that kidnapped the baron's daughter! Get 'im!" One yelled.

Torn and Ashelin backed up.

"Bad idea…" Ashelin muttered.

Torn spotted a break in the line of guards. He took Ashelin's hand and ran for it.

"Whoa! Torn!"

Torn and Ashelin ran through the crowd with Daxter barely handing on. Guards continued to follow them as they ran through the slums of Haven City. Finally they stooped in an ally way near the water slums. Torn stopped to catch his breath and Ashelin wiped sweat off her face.

"This sucks."

"How'd they know we're with the Underground?"

"Uh, hello? 'Rabid orange rat,'" Torn said.

"Oh yeah." Ashelin peeked around the corner to see guards running around looking for the 'kidnapers'.

"Well then why'd you bring me along?!"

"Because we knew Jak would object." Ashelin said. "And he was being stupid."

* * *

Jak looked at the maps in front of him. And he admitted that:

Torn was soo much better at this.

But he wasn't going to ask a teen to do this no matter how old they used to be. Wait. Wasn't he a teenager too? Suddenly something hard hid his head.

"Ow! What?" He looked up and saw that Torn, Ashelin and Daxter had returned. He looked at Torn to say something, but Torn was sleeping. Again.

"Yeah, he's catching up on all the sleep he missed in his life." Ashelin said as Jak looked toward her.

"Well wake him up, I got another mission." Jak said, but he really didn't have a mission for them. He just wanted them to do something.

"After what we went through to get that thing? Anyway, we can't wake him up; we'd need to perform 'Operation Flip the Mattress'. 'Cause when he sleeps, He sleeps. He's like dead to the world." Ashelin pointed to Torn.

"Oh cool! Can I participate?" Daxter looked up hopefully.

"No, leave him be."

"Hey! I'm the commander; you gotta do as I say!"

"Oh yeah? What's the mission huh?"

"Uh…well…um…"

"Yeah, see you don't have a mission. Go away." Ashelin laid down a tried to sleep. "Well!? What are you waiting for?! Take that to Samos!"

"Right!!"

"God, Torn was so much better at this stuff…"

* * *

"You're just looking for excuses to beat me up."

"Oh yeah? Proof it."

"You're sending me missions day and night. I never gave you this much missions."

"Yeah well you had it coming! All those missions were suicide! At least be glad the ones I give you aren't like that!"

"They aren't yours. You get them from Samos!"

"So what! The only reason they ain't hard is because Samos doesn't want you hurt. Just because you're 13 doesn't mean you can't take a cut or two."

"Why don't you take that to Samos, or are you scared of an old man!"

"Hey!" Jak faced Torn. "Don't insult him!"

"I can, and I just have!" Torn glared

"Humph. You're all talk!"

"I bet I could take you on…"

"What?"

"I said I bet I could take you on any day!"

Jak smirked. "Yeah right."

"What? You scared of me?"

Jak's eyes were pitch black as he held Torn against a wall by the neck. "You don't wanna go there."

Torn struggled against Jak's grip, which was cutting off his breathing. Jak tightened his grip as Torn struggled for air. Obviously Dark Jak was itching to kill something whether it was friend or foe. Torn's face had gone from red, to purple and was starting to go blue.

"Jak what are you doing?!" Tess ran in. Jak returned to normal and looked at her.

"What?"

Torn gasped for air as Jak let go. Jak looked at him and spotted the marks we're Dark Jak held him against the wall.

"Oh god! Torn!" Jak bent down to help him but Torn pushed him back.

"Stay away!" Torn's face had returned to normal quickly. He allowed Tess to help him up to a bunk.

"What were you doing?!" Tess asked again.

"Nothing! I swear!"

"Yeah right! You tried to choke me to death!" Torn rubbed his neck.

"Jak!"

"He was asking for it!"

"Go away!"

"Going! Going!" Jak went down the trap door.

"And I'm gonna give you what's coming later!" Tess yelled after him. "Now!" she tuned to Torn who'd somehow fallen asleep again. "What?"

"I'm…awake…" He muttered.

"Not for long I guess." Tess looked at him as he fell asleep once again.

* * *

Yeah….Now we'll see if I can get the next chapter up in the next two weeks.


	3. Shiny orb

Disclaimer: I don't own Jak and Daxter.

HA! Ha, ha! Inspiration finally came to me while I stared at "the Bee Movie" case(which I am currently using as a mouse pad) and ate vanilla mini wheats!! Now I've got this story and all of its sequels going through my head!! PREPARE TO BE AMAZED!! Have you seen what mini-wheats has in it? Vitamins and everything….

* * *

"How does he do that? One minute, he's awake and everything, the next, he dead…How does that work." Daxter said to Ashelin as Torn and all his sleepy glory reached for the third orb he'd seen since he became a teen. Because after you sleep for hours, you gotta have everything shiny that you couldn't get before.

"Actually I have no idea. I guess he's just really tired. But at least he's not acting the same way he did in the guard.

"What'd he do in the guard?"

"Every time he woke up he'd start acting like he'd just eaten a truck load of sugar. Man, you should have seen what he did once. It was hilarious. Almost got it? My feet are starting to hurt."

"Almost…almost…" Torn stretched his arm until his finger tip just touched the orb.

"You said that a hundred times now…Yeah this it boring." Daxter jumped off Ashelin's shoulder to Torn's head and crawled up his arm. "Let's go."

"That's the huge down side to this."

"What?"

"You're not six feet tall any more."

* * *

"What took you so long?" Jak said as Ashelin, Torn and Daxter walked in.

"Sorry," Daxter said. "Torn over there just _had_ to have every shiny thing in sight, even if he couldn't reach it. You know how long we stood there for?"

"Very long. Being a foot shorter doesn't help when you have an urge to climb a tree, then jump onto a wall, climb the wall, and reach for an orb while avoiding curtain death by a million zoomers."

"You tried to get an orb." Jak looked at Torn.

"No, I went and rode the merry-go-round and won one. Of course I did!"

"And what did you find?"

"We were looking for something?" Daxter looked up.

"Yeah. Information."

"Well you should have told us that! I ain't going back out there! You know how many guards are out there? A million of them! Looking for Ashelin! They wouldn't care if someone died in the middle of the road right now!"

"Look, I'll come with you, they won't notice anything then."

"What about the rabid orange rat?"

"Who cares! I get to be on Jak's shoulder now! Just like old times eh bud?"

"I have a feeling this won't go well." Ashelin whispered.

"Just play along. Maybe the guards will think they're holding us hostage."

"That'll work out even better…"

* * *

"I was right. We shouldn't have came back out!"

"Just keep running!"

"Yeah, great idea Jak, we can't run across all of Hav-woah!"

"Ashelin!" Torn pulled Ashelin off the ground and tried to run, but already they were surrounded by guards.

"You aren't getting away this time!"

"Where'd Jak go?"

"I don't know. Probably didn't notice what's going on either."

"Hey! Shut up!" A guard whacked Torn in the head with the butt of his gun.

Torn reached for his pistol, as stared circled his vision, but then remembered that he didn't have one anymore. They were defenseless.

The guards taking this as a 'go ahead' signal started whacking and/or shooting them as well.

"Uh, Jak?'

"What?"

"Where are Torn and Ashelin?"

Jak looked back and stopped. They weren't there. Neither were the guards.

"What?"

"Come on, go back, maybe they got caught!"

A crowd of guards had gathered a few turns behind them.

"I'm guessing,"

"They're in the middle of that. That ain't good." Daxter said.

"Hey!" Jak shot a guard, and more turned and faced him. "Go! Get outta here!"

As Jak shot more and more guards down, he saw Torn and Ashelin. Ashelin was untouched. But Torn was bloody and bruised. Tess was going to KILL him.

Jak ran over as the guards retreated, to Ashelin who was holding Torn in her arms.

"WHY DID YOU JUST LEAVE US BEHIND LIKE THAT!?" Ashelin exploded.

"I didn't-"

"WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN KILLED! HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN KILLED! LOOK AT HIM!!"

"Stop yelling, and Let me get him back to HQ!"

Tess Exploded as soon as he walked in.

"WHAT DID U DO?! WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?! WHY WEREN'T YOU THERE TO STOP THIS?!"

"Don't just stand there! Help him!" Ashelin ran in behind Jak.

As Tess and Ashelin moved Torn to a bed, Jak stood in the doorway. _I'm sooo going to get it now…_

"You ok Jak?"

"Oh yeah. Except Samos is gonna make sure I go on every suicide mission for the next few days for almost getting one of the two youngest (and important) members of the underground killed…"

--

Now be happy. My dad stole our laptop cause RIM thought his other one was shabby(or something like that cause it had duck tape on it.) So now I can't play grand chase cause our old computer doesn't have enough RAM for it!


	4. Drunk

Disclaimer: I don't own Jak and Daxter

Ok, I'm thinking on changing the title, because, I just got this idea. But I didn't want to have to make another story with the same beginning so I'm just might change the story line of this one! And another reason is because, if I tried writing the sequel to this (If I stay with this story line) it would be incredible short.

* * *

"I wouldn't have to yell at you if you didn't keep messing everything up."

"I'm not messing anything up."

"You almost got Torn killed. Twice."

"It's not my fault."

"Yes it is, you're not looking out for him like you're supposed to."

"He can look out for himself."

"Jak,"

"Look you're gonna yell at me again."

"I wouldn't have to yell at you if you didn't keep messing everything up."

"I'm not messing anything up."

"You almost got Torn killed. Twice."

"It's not- you just started this whole conversation over again didn't you."

"Yes, because you can't get it through your head that Torn has nothing to defend himself with when you send him and Ashelin on missions."

"What happened to the guns he had before?"

"Don't ask me."

"Where are Torn and Ashelin anyway?"

Tess looked at the ceiling. "Uh…I think Ashelin's over at the bar, taking my shift, and Torn? You know what?"

"What?"

"I have no idea where he is. Maybe he's with Samos."

"Well since we know where he is, I'm taking a nap." Jak said as he flung himself on a bed and fell asleep.

* * *

-

But, Torn was not with Samos, he was in the port. In the Hip Hog to be precise. Doing what? I don't know. Maybe he's checking if there really is real gold in one of the bottles.

"I don't think you should drink that."

"Ah, it's fine. Crew won't mind."

"Torn, you just came off 3 days of green eco, and anyway, you're thirteen, not twenty-eight."

"Oh ya, like you expect me to believe you haven't drank anything." Torn smiled. He sat behind the counter, trying to open a stubborn bottle cap. "Why won't this open?!"

"Try twisting it."

"….Oh."

Ashelin laughed.

"Well if you don't want me drinking it, why did you tell me how to open it?" Torn asked.

"Because, I want some." Ashelin took the bottle.

"Hey!"

"Go away." Ashelin took a gulp of the drink. "Woah! That's good stuff!" Ashelin laughed and took another gulp.

"Ashelin…"

"Ah loosen up Torn!! Try it, it's good!"

Torn took about 3 gulp and threw the bottle behind him. "We got any more of this stuff?"

"I dunno. Look for the yellow bottle."

* * *

Ok, Torn wasn't with Samos, and he wasn't at the gun course. Jak decided to get a drink. May as well drunk if he was gonna get yelled at. That way, he wouldn't remember it too well. And Daxter wanted a drink just so he could drink something.

But when they walked into the Hip Hog, they expected to see Ashelin at the counter. What they saw how ever was Ashelin laying on the counter, laughing her head off like the funniest thing in the world just happened. And Torn had some how managed to get himself hung from the ceiling. He was also laughing.

"What the hell?!"

Ashelin looked at the door. "Jak! You-hic- gotta try this-hic-stuff!"

"Yeah!" Torn laughed as he tried to get himself off the ceiling. "I think-hic- it has re-hic-real gold in it-Whoa! Ahaha! Oh god!" Torn laughed as he hit the counter, and rolled off in front of it.

"What have you two been doing?!" Daxter exclaimed.

"It was-it was his-hic-idea!"

"No! You drank it-hic- first!"

"Ya, sure. I'm calling Tess, and you two are going back to HQ!"

"Do we get to drive back?" Torn asked.

"Oh no! We ain't doing that again!"

"You two were driving?!" Jak asked.

"Yeah!" Torn started laughing again. "Didn't you see the giant pile of zoomers out there?"

Daxter looked out the door. Indeed, just down the way, a pile of burning zoomers was taking up the path. "Oh…I can't believe we didn't see that…" Suddenly Daxter was flung away from the door by Tess.

"Alright!! Torn and Ashelin, when we get back, you are SOOO gonna get it"

"Whoa.. that was fast…" Daxter climbed back on Jak's shoulder.

Jak smirked at Torn and Ashelin exchanged looks. They suddenly had smiles that made them look like mad men, and bolted out the door.

"I CALL SHOTGUN!!"

"HEY!!"

Jak and Daxter watched Tess chase Torn and Ashelin out the door.

"So uh…what do you think they were drinking?"

"Something in a yellow bottle."

A few seconds of silence… "Find that yellow bottle!"

* * *

"And you did this because?"

Samos stood infront of Torn and Ashelin after Tess had finally caught them. By which time, half the city now had no way of transportation other than walking.

"I don't know. Ask Torn. He's the one you wanted to drink it."

"You drank it first! Then you told me to drink it!"

"Ya! Only because you couldn't get the bottle open!"

"You only told me how because you wanted me to open it so you wouldn't have to!"

"Oh ya! Well I-"

"SILENCE!"

Torn and Ashelin froze. It ain't often you see Samos yelling.

"Now, if this happens again. You two aren't going to see the light of day for a LONG time. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Now go."

* * *

Jak had a drunken version of a triumphant smile on his face as he watched Torn and Ashelin come out of Samos' office. That was the good thing. The bad thing was that he had to drive them back to HQ. The other good thing was that they were young, so they fell dead asleep in the zoomer. The other bad thing was that when they arrived at HQ, he'd have to carry them in. That would be very hard to do when you could barely walk two steps with out support.

Oh yes. This was a very good day. Because he wasn't getting yelled at.

* * *

Ok. Ya, I think I will change the story line. SO! In turn, you will have a great series in front of you at some point in time.

Maybe in about….i dunno…a few years maybe? :P


	5. Internal Clocks and Going Soft?

Hey, If you've noticed the title change, you've probably noticed that I am no longer Eco Tale, I am now Diniseni, but enough of that. I don't know how long this sudden burst of Jak and Daxter inspiration will last, but I'm gonna make the best of it! I know I've been gone a while, but I blame the Tales series. I couldn't stop playing! Although I've only played Tales of Symphonia and Tales of the Abyss, I am on my fifth play through for both(I know, I got...is obsessed the right word?)

I don't own Jak and Daxter!

Read on!!

* * *

"I don't get it. Before all this getting turned into teens thing, Torn and Ashelin were the most serious people I know..." Jak and Daxter sat in the small meeting room of Underground HQ.

"Yeah! Now they're..."

"Reckless?" Jak finished.

"Yeah!"

"Well," Both Samos' sat across from them. "This is only a guess, but, the dark eco may have not only changed their bodies."

"Meaning?" Daxter looked at the leader of the Underground.

The older Samos finished the theory. "The dark eco may have also turned back their internal clocks as well. Acting before thinking. Like you, Daxter."

"Oh, I get it...Hey!"

"Isn't there a way to reverse it?" Jak asked.

"The only way to reverse it would be to balance the dark eco in their bodies with light eco. But light eco hasn't been found for centries!" Samos said.

The younger Samos looked up in thought. "Well, I've heard that there was a small light eco source in the wasteland. But it was deep underground, and the temple has probably fallen apart from the sandstorms..."

Jak and Dacter sighed together.

"Of course, even if we did find it, we don't know how much eco is in their bodies."

"Huh? There's dark eco in their body?" Jak asked, surprised.

"Of course. How do you think this happened. There is most likely dark eco in your body as well, Daxter." The older Samos stated it like it was a well known fact.

"What?! Really?!" Daxter was amazed. Then angry"So wait! When we killed those freaky dark eco guys...When Jak used that light eco stuff...I could have gotten back to normal!!???"

"Most likely." Both Samos' said.

"Eh heh..." Jak nervously laughed.

* * *

"...I want to go home."

"Hm?"

"I want to go home! I want to go back to my bed! I want a REAL shower! I want people to be scared of me when I walk by! I want people running back and forth with my drinks! I want-"

Torn raised an eye brow as he listened to Ashelin's sudden rant. "Um...calm down?"

"No! I will not calm down! I'm tired of this!" Ashelin stomped towards the door.

"Ashelin! If you go out-" Torn got up and grabbed her arm.

"If I go out, they're gonna find me, and if they don't believe me, all they gotta do is check my finger prints!" Ashelin pulled away. "I wanna go home!"

"Ashelin. Your over reacting. That's the guard you're talking about! Do you honestly believe they'll listen to you like you are now?" Torn crossed his arms.

Ashelin stopped before she reached the door. "...Oh...Yes, you're right." she sighed. "I'm sorry...I'm just not used to this..."

"Yeah, I'm not either."

"Not the teen thing, the living in this...dump." Ashelin waved her arms.

"Hey! This 'dump' had been my home for a long time! You're royalty, but this is perfect for people like me!" Torn defended the HQ.

"Technically, Jak is the heir, not me." Ashelin corrected.

"Royalty enough for me..." Torn muttered, crossing his arms.

"What?"

"Nothing." Torn layed down and stared at the ceiling.

"What are you thinking about?"

Torn grinned. "About all the stupid crap we've done in the past couple of weeks."

"By the precursors...We've been doing everything without thought. Like a couple of careless, stupid..."

"Teenagers?"

"That's a stereotype!"

"Not for people who act like we've been acting."

Ashelin stared at the ceiling too. "Remember last week, when we got caught up by those guards?"

"Those wounds have healed."

"Yes, but what do you think would have happened if Jak didn't notice that I tripped, and didn't come back?"

"Well, I think I'd be in jail right now...Most likely put into that dark eco thing. Considering who I am." Torn said.

"Why just you?" Ashelin looked at him, her face was mixed with confusion and worry.

"Well, they'd take our finger prints, and when they saw who we really were..."

"Oh...yeah. You're considered a traitor to the guard." Ashelin said.

A few minutes of silence passed, while both stared at the ceiling. Finally Ashelin yawned.

"It's late, you should go to bed."

"I am in bed." Ashelin said.

"You know what I mean. Go to sleep." Torn said.

"You're staying up late again."

"Yeah well, I've gotten enough sleep in the past couple of weeks."

More silence.

"I hear...Jak's gonna...gonna try an'...get into the metal head nest..." Ashelin said in between yawns.

"Mhm."

"I hope he...doesn't get hurt..."

"Well, Erol's gone...so there's not much to hold him back. And He's got Samos' and Keira's and Vin's brain power..."

"Which one?"

"Both of course."

"Aren't you worried?" Ashelin asked groggily.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because he's just Jak. And he's got Daxter. And dark eco. And he can handle himself just fine."

"You don't like him anymore than you did before......Do you..."

"Not really. I actually think he hates me more." Torn said, watching the fire by the table slowly die down.

Ashelin didn't respond.

Torn stared at the flames that seemed there one moment and gone the next. He wondered what the Samos' and Jak were talking about. Plans to get into the metal head nest? He'd have no trouble. Didn't have trouble before, can't have trouble now. Of course, if he did, Keira and Tess and Daxter would never give it up. Then there would be one less person in his life, one less person to look at. But then...things would get worse. Jak's dark eco powers is what got them here...if he died some how... Torn shivered. He wasn't worried...was he?

He shook his head. No. Jak didn't like him. Sure he wasn't trying to kill him...

Torn looked at Ashelin. "Ashelin?"

No response. "Sleeping..."

A few more minutes. Jak wasn't back yet...

"Yeah I hope he gets out OK too..."

* * *

Hmm...Turned out different than I thought it would be, but it's better than nothing! Aw! Torn's going soft! But anyway. I'm on overdrive. I'm gonna write another chapter! I kinda forgot which point in the game this was taking place, so I just skipped to the end...Of course, it's not the end yet. I've still got something planned for Torn and Ashelin...Mostly Torn because I love torturing him.

You're gonna review right? So that I know that you want me to keep going, and get to the sequel? Pretty please?


	6. Caught

I don't own Jak. Or Daxter. Or Torn. Or Ashelin. Or Samos. Or that other Samos. Or Tess.

Heh heh heh. Time to get them into trouble...Heh heh heh...

Read on!!

* * *

Another mission. Samos wanted Torn and Ashelin to make some last minutes confirmations. Considering who they were, Torn and Ashelin were perfect. Torn was an ex-krimson guard, he had experience crawling through air vents. And Ashelin was, well, she knew the palace like the back of her hand.

Kor had said that the Baron may get in their way, so they were to make sure that he never left. Come to think of it, they hadn't seen Kor in a while...

It was very dangerous. Getting caught could mean that all the effort the Underground put into this, it would all be a failure. Not to mention they could lose their lives. But there was no other alternative. The Baron had the upper hand, and they couldn't afford it to stay that way.

"I'm jittery."

"Looks more like you're nervous." Torn looked back at Ashelin, who was shaking slightly. That itself was difficult, seeing as they were in an air vent, but all the same. "Try to stay calm, if you keep shaking like that, you'll give us away."

"Easy for you to say. We could get caught!" Ashelin whispered back.

"By who? Every body's out looking for you." Torn said.

"Yes but if we got caught, affect everything!" Ashelin said from behind Torn.

"We'll have to be sneaky then."

"You sound like you don't even care!"

"Yeah I do. It's called keeping calm. If I'm not calm, everything will be a waste. If I'm not calm, we will die. If I'm not calm, Possibly everybody will die. Believe me, on the inside, I'm just as worried as you." Torn said as he continued through the vent. "Wait." he stopped.

"What?"

"Shh."

Torn and Ashelin stopped above a screen that was above what looked like a meeting room. The Baron was pacing in front of a line of guards.

"-ey DON'T get through! If you take ONE step out of line, I'll feed you ALL the the metal heads!" The Baron yelled every few words.

"Yes-sir!" The guards saluted him then filed out.

"What was that?" Ashelin whispered. "What's my father planning?"

"My guess is that he's trying to stop Jak from getting to the metal head nest." Torn said.

"What? Why!" Ashelin raised her voice slightly. Too high.

"Shh!!"

Too late. The Baron's head shot up. "Who's there?!" he looked around the room slowly. "I know you're in here! If you come out now, it'll save you a lot of pain!" he threatened.

Torn and Ashelin held their breath.

'Look away look away look away...'

"Not going to show eh?" The Baron took a communicator from his belt. "Alert the guards. We've got a couple of rats..."

A siren sounded though out the palace as the Baron walked away, laughing.

"Damn it! Now look what you've done!" Torn growled.

"Shut up! Let's just get out of here!" Ashelin turned herself around, with some difficulty, and started to crawl quickly through the vent."What if we get caught?"

"We've got a scatter gun and a vulcan, just shoot them down! Now hurry up!" Torn said.

"I'm going!"

"Be quiet! If they find out we're up here, they'll shoot us down before we even get the chance to shoot them!" Torn urged.

"I know!"

A few turns later, Ashelin was getting frantic. "Which way is it?!"

"Just keep going!" The siren continued to rind, and soon it seemed like it was getting louder every second. Not to mention the frequent calls of "WHERE'S THE INTRUDER!?!?!" Torn growled. "I'm going to go deaf."

"Why does this always happen? I thought you had good memory!"

"I don't know. And I don't care! Let's just get. Out. Of...Here." Torn trailed off. "Did you hear that?"

Ashelin stopped. "Hear what?"

"Listen."

She could hear it now. The siren was just a back round sound now, she could hear the loud groaning. Coming from..."Underneath us?!"

"Move!"

"Ah!"

Too late. The vent snapped and the crashed to the floor beneath them.

Ashelin shut her eyes tight, waiting for the guards to find them while the alarm kept going. Nothing happened. She cracked open one eye.

Torn was standing up rubbing his head and back. "By the precursors...Man that hurt...We must be in an old storage room." he said while looking around. They were in an old dusty room, boxes lined the walls, there were no windows, and only one large door with a heavily rusted tank next to it. It looked like it hadn't been used in a while.

"Do you think they heard that?" Ashelin asked, standing up and trying to ignore the pain in her back and knees.

"Maybe some, but over the sound of this god awful siren, I don't think many did." Torn growled as he said 'god awful siren'.

"...Do you think that tank will shoot us?" Ashelin looked at the tank. She smacked herself mentally. What a dumb question to be asking.

"Most likely not, considering its condition, but be careful anyway." Torn said, walking around the tank to the door. He pulled out the vulcan on his back as he approached it. "Let's go." He shot the lock and Ashelin followed.

* * *

"Ugh. How long were they supposed to be in there?" Daxter walked around the HQ for the hundredth time.

"They'll be here when they get here." Samos said in annoyance.

"That's what they all say..." Daxter muttered. That earned him a whack from Samos' staff.

"You could learn something from 'what they all say'." he said.

* * *

"Almost there." Torn sighed as he and Ashelin stepped into the elvator.

"I never realized how dumb those guards are." Ashelin said.

"Strange, there weren't many in there." Torn said. The elevator started to move down.

"Yes, but we still need to be on our guard."

"Yeah." Torn agreed. "But we'll have to report this a failure."

"They aren't gonna let us hear the end of it."

"Or we could just die." Torn said as he stepped out of the elevator.

"Oh, what a PERFECT idea!" said a voice that Torn didn't recognize.

They looked around in surprise. They were surrounded by Krimzon Guards. A man with a blue jacket and balding hair stood in front.

"Vegar." Ashelin hissed.

"Who?" Torn whispered.

"He took head of the council a couple years ago." she said.

"Well well! A couple of rats." Vegar said.

Torn pointed his gun at him, but Ashelin stopped him. "There's too many."

"A wise decision." Vegar waved his hand.

"They're just taking blood samples." Ashelin raised her arm as another grabbed Torn's, inserting what looked like a needle with a miniature scanner on it.

Vegar looked at the readings from both, then smirked. "Oh this is perfect! Take her to the baron!" he nodded in Ashelin's direction.

Two guards grabbed Ashelin's and started for the door. She tried to shake them off. "I can walk!"

"Too bad."

Vegar looked at Torn. "Well if it isn't the _traitor_."

"..."

"Not talking? Well I'm sure you'll come around eventually." Vegar said, waving his hand again.

Torn raised the vulcan again. Vegar laughed. "Haha, nice try."

* * *

Dark, cold, and damp. What the hell? Why couldn't he move? He opened his eyes. He was strapped to a metal table, and a large dark room, with cells lining the room.

"Torn, Torn, Torn..."

He turned his head. The Baron was standing him.

"I never expected to see you here with my daughter."

"..."

"Dark eco is a powerful thing, just look at what it's done to you!" he laughed.

"...?"

"Yes I know you tried to steal that precursor artifact from me, and ended up taking a little shower in dark eco. Of course I can't let you go unpunished for it all, especially for kidnapping my daughter."

"I didn't kidnap her." Torn growled.

"Of course you didn't." he turned toward the control panel. "Since we lost our last subject escaped...We won't let that happen again." he put his hand on the lever.

Torn's pulse hastened as he looked at the large needle above him, he wasn't going to really...?

"But you're only a mere teenager, not even as old as Jak was! But we don't have any other choise," The Baron smiled. "I regret doing this, but don't worry, after a while, you won't feel a thing!" he pulled the lever down.

"Gah!" Torn gasped in pain as the purple electricity ran through his body. Every muscle in his body tensed as he tried to keep from yelling out. It felt like his body was on fire, burning everything. The Baron grinned and laughed evilly. Was the pain getting worse?! Finally the pain was too great, and his screams rang through out the prison. He could barely think, but one phrase came to mind.

A traitor's just desserts.

* * *

Yes, I'm torturing Torn. He's my favorite person to torture. But anyway, I'm going to update as soon as possible! Because I'm finishing all my homework fast so I can write as soon as possible! Say thanks to my science class for mentioning eco...Now I wanna play Jak...REVIEW! Or I'll come and make you! Please?


	7. Metal Heads!

Now...How do I get Torn outta prison...?

I don't own Jak and Daxter.

Read on!!

* * *

"How much longer do we gotta wait? We were supposed to meet the Samos' and Keira at the stadium!" Daxter paced the table.

"Get in, set a trap, get out. How long should that take?" Jak sighed and leaned against the wall. "Knowing Torn and Ashelin..."

"I bet'cha they would have gotten it done pronto if they were back to normal."

"Then they couldn't fit through the vents."

"This is aggravating."

"Aggravating? I didn't know you knew that word."

"Hey! I'm not that stupid!"

"So you're saying you are stupid?"

"...Wanna see if we can find 'em in the city?"

"Oh, nice one." Jak smirked, then sighed again. "Yeah, I guess we should. Maybe they already left for the stadium..."

As they entered the city, Jak noticed something. "Hey, is it me, or are there a lot less guards walking around?"

"Um, maybe they're in another sector?" Daxter suggested.

"I dunno..." Jak took another look. "Let's just get going. It's been hours, we shouldn't keep them waiting."

"What if this has something to do with Krew's weapon factory thing?" Daxter asked.

"Krew's dead. I don't think so. Why?" Jak asked, confused.

"I don't know...I got a bad feeling..."

"Keep your guard up then." Jak pushed the memory of killing Krew away.

After jumping on the JET-board, it only took a few minuted to reach the palace.

"See them?" Jak looked around.

"Nope."

"Let's just head to the stadium then." Jak kept moving.

"Why not just steal a zoomer?" Daxter interrupted as they entered the bazaar.

"Because this JET-board is just as fast."

"Yeah, as fast as he slowest ones! I thought we weren't wasting time!"

"Ugh. Fine."

But before Jak was able to steal a zoomer, something made two pair stop dead. A message, one of Baron Praxis' daily messages, but this one was different. It wasn't a recording, it sounded live.

"People of Haven City!" the voice rang through the city. "I, Baron Praxis have some very good news for all of you! My daughter, Ashelin has been returned to us, and the Underground scum responsible will be punished for defying me, and for the kidnapping of my daughter."

There was a sound, barely audible, in the background, someone's heavy breathing. "I didn't...do it...Gah!" It sounded like who ever had spoken had been hit.

"Soon now, the Underground Resistance will be dead!"

The citizens of Haven City may not of heard what was in the background, but Jak and Daxter did. They looked at each other, wide eyed. "Torn and Ashelin!"

Not even bothering to steal a zoomer, Jak sprinted as fast as his legs would carry him to the stadium. "We have to tell Samos!"

* * *

"Jak! You made it!" Keira said.

"Finally! It's been hours! What took you so long?" Samos said.

"Where are Torn and Ashelin?" the younger one asked.

"Didn't...Didn't you just hear...that annoncement?" Jak said as he stopped in front of them, gasping for air.

"What annoncement?" Keira asked. "What's happened?"

"How could you _not_ hear it?!" Daxter exclaimed.

"Sorry, we were a little busy getting this thing out!" The older Samos pointed at the seat they would use to get back to their time.

"It was Baron Praxis!" Jak said. "Torn and Ashelin, they've been caught!"

"What?!"

"How?!"

"I don't know!" Jak exclaimed.

"Hurry! We must get this back inside the stadium!" The Samos' ran over to the seat.

"More lifting for you, Jak." Daxter said.

"Let's just-" Jak was cut of by the sreaming of many people.

"METAL HEADS!"

"M-metal heads?!" Daxter looked around. Metal heads were indeed swarming into the stadium.

"How did metal heads get in?!"Jak pulled out his gun.

"Jak! You must hold off these metal heads, we'll use our powers to carry the time travelling seat back into the stadium!"

"Keira! Call Brutter! Tell him to stay away!"

"I'm on it!"

Jak began shooting metal heads away as the Samos' hands glowed green, then the seat started glowing green. They slowly lifted it off the ground, and walked to the stadium.

"Where are they all comeing from?!" Daxter clung to the side of Jak's head.

"Krew's weapon factory, meeting Sig in the underport, Sig...and that metal head..." Jak gasped.

"What?"

"This whole thing was a trap by Krew! To get the metal heads into the city!"

"Didn't we close that door?!" Daxter said.

"Yeah, but..." Jak shot down more metal heads as they climbed the stairs. "I don't know! That's all I can think of."

* * *

There was all of one other person in prison. His name was Jared, or was it Jeff? And he was in the cell beside Torn. He usually ranted on about what had happened in his life, apparently, he got here by hitting 3 guards with a zoomer.

"I mean, who wouldn't wanna hit those jack ass, slime balls anyway?" he'd said. Then he went on about how they were only kids. "I mean, I'm seventeen, that's happenin' a lot nowadays, kids gettin' into jail...But you, you're only thirteen! Man, I swear, sooner or later, this place is goin' down.

Right now, Torn wished he would just shut up. He was tired, his entire body hurt, and his jaw was badly bruised. But then Jared(James?) said something interesting for once.

"Hey, did'ja hear? They say there are hoards of metal heads raiding the city!"

Torn looked up from his spot on the metal floor. "Wh-what?!"

"Yeah! They've been sayin' metal heads just appeared in the port, just pourin' outta the under port! All guards were put out to kill 'em or somethin'. They say the whole port will be closed off. I'll tell ya now, I'm glad I'm here an' not out there."

"You...listen to the guards a lot, don't you?"

"Well I gotta do somethin' when I'm done my work. I'm tellin' ya, the work they put me to HAS to be better than what you're goin' through." Jared(Jack?) continued.

"I bet it is." Torn sighed and looked at the ceiling. He was hungry now.

"Dude, was that you're stomach?" Jared said.

"Yep..."

"Jeez I hope this whole place ain't comin' down. We gotta get outta here..."

"We'll get out, sooner or later, you know that Jak guy?"

"What, you know 'im?"

"Uh huh. I'm pretty sure he hates me, but I don't think he hates me enough to just leave me here...The others wouldn't let him hear the end of it." Torn laughed tiredly.

"Man, that Jak's gettin' popular..."

"Yeah, he's good." Torn closed his eyes. Tired...so tired...

"Yeah, man I'm tellin' ya, If this whole place comes down, and we get out alive, I'm findin' a way into the wasteland."

"...Why..."

"Because there's rumors. All kinda rumors. There's a city out there, for all who've been banished. Well, if you can find it." Jared said. "And if you don't the marauder's get'cha. They say the marauders are people who weren't accepted by the people of the city, too violent, didn't go by the rules, made their own society. Go out alone out there, and either the sand storms get'cha, or them."

"Sand storms?"

"It's a huge desert, and the sand storms are powerful enough to rip the skin from your bones!"

"......Oh....."

"I'm tellin' ya, that's where I'm goin' an' when I do-hey man, are you sleepin' on me?"

"..."

"Ah he was tired anyway..."

* * *

"Maybe I'll come too...If he never comes..."

* * *

Ashelin sat on her bed, staring at the floor. Her father had locked her in her room hours ago. She was worried. Torn was in the back of that annoncement, but he sounded tired, and injured. What did her father do? She could only hope he didn't do what she thought he did. Putting someone as young as Torn was now, he would probably die. How would he get out? Would Jak come in time?

Ashelin sighed. Ever since her mother died...

"Grr...!" she punched the wall next to her. "Damn it...father...what have you become?"

* * *

* * *


	8. Coming Back from Haunted Past

Well, I was napping on the couch when I had the sudden urge to write. Not ToA, but this. So...when I started writing, I didn't know what I was going to do about Torn in prison. Then right before the middle of the chapter, I erased a chunk of it, because I had an idea.....Remember that idea I had a while back? Well, here it is. But I do admit that I had a bit of a hard time ending it. I was wondering if I should pu the Baron and his bomb in here, but I decided against it...

To make it easy, things written like _**this** _is the dark eco, and things written _in italics_ are memories.

I do not own Jak and Daxter.

Read on!!

* * *

Five days had passed. Torn had no idea what was happening on the outside in the city. The Baron still hadn't given up on his 'project'. In fact, Torn was out of his cell and in that chair for more and more time everyday. He didn't care anymore though. His body was too numb to feel it now. But he still knew that Jak had gone through much more, the Baron was actually surprised that someone as 'young' as him was still alive.

He was trying as hard as he could no to speak to Jared. Speaking to his jail mate...aggitated him, see. Not really him, but the dark eco. It was like Jared was an enemy to them. He tried to at least say 'uh huh' every once and a while. Because when there's only one other person in jail with you, you really don't want to seem like you're ignoring them.

Right now however, Torn wasn't doing anything. His eyes were burning for sleep, but he forced himself to stay awake. Jared was snoring in the next cell. He sat against the wall, letting the cold metal practically freeze the back of his head. His current past-time, fiddling with his hair. His hair seemed to have grown in the last...week? He didn't know. It was weird, Jak had more eco in him, but his hair never grew longer, nor did it grow in a strange purple tint. His hair had been cut after he and Ashelin had transformed, just too hide his identity. But now it had grown back past his shoulders, and half way down, the brown had turned to a black-purple color. It must be the dark eco.

"Anyway, so my brother was somewhere in the guard here...Never knew what happened to him, one day he was here...Then, poof....He was just gone. Never found his body...." Jared ranted on. Torn didn't even realized that he'd woken up.

Torn knew what probably happened. Jak most likely killed him in one of his rampages. His thoughts came to a muted end as the doors to his cell suddenly opened. Not surprisingly, Baron Praxis stood in his sight. Torn didn't move, he glared, and the Baron pulled him out of the cell by his arm.

"Good new for you." he said gruffly, strapping Torn to the chair. "You're gettin' out today! Well, after this." he laughed. "I would have liked to wait and see what happened after the 500 mark, but I can't wait any longer."

What ever the five hundred mark was, Torn didn't want to know. Was it just 500, or 500,000? The Baron was holding up a vial of dark eco. Torn stared at it, his throat hurting too much to ask what it was(not that the Baron would tell him) that made it so different. The eco in that vial seemed..angry. It moved and jumped around more violently than normal eco. Torn tensed as he put the eco into the machine. The machine that would send that eco-in the form of some type of electricity-into his body.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt." The Baron said, setting his hand on the lever. "...Too much!"

* * *

Hours later, in the stadium...

"If all goes as planned, Brutter will be able to fly in above the stadium, and avoid the ground Metal heads. Jak, you'll have to keep the flying ones away while we are lifting off." Samos instructed.

Keira, both Samos', Jak and Daxter stood in the stadium. Where Brutter was making a flying balloon for them, they didn't know, but he was safe. The only thing that stood between them and the hoards of Metal heads outside was a thin barrier. A week had passed, and that thin wall was bound to fall soon.

"Hey," Daxter jumped up. "While we're all nice and cozy safe in here, what about Torn an' Ashelin?"

"I was getting to that!" Both Samos' said at once. "With the shortage of guards in the palace, Ashelin has been able to make contact with us."

"But only for a few minutes." Keira said. "She's going to open the door to the old construction site near the metal head nest. All you have to do is find the Baron somewhere in there, and get that Precursor stone back!"

"Yeah, that sounds easy, but uh, how are we supposed to get into the metal head nest?? Daxter asked.

"Mar, the founder of this city, built a weapon that with the power of the Precursor stone, could break through the barrier, and into the nest." Samos said. "You'll have to find it, and use it."

"What about Torn. We can't just leave him in the prison, this whole city is coming down!" Jak exclaimed. Gunshots, and the yells of Metal heads and citizens alike could be heard.

The younger Samos opened his mouth, but a loud call came through the noise around them before he could speak.

"HEEEEY! Butter has finished the balloon!" Brutter was flying down into the stadium with his complete balloon. It looked strange, wood tied together with a large arrangement of lurker balloons above it. But the higher off the ground and away from t he monsters, the better. He made a soft landing in front of them. "I told you lurker balloons were the best!" he said as he jumped off.

"You're just on time Brutter!" Samos said happily. "Let's get this thing on then..." Once again, the two Samos' surrounded the rift rider, carrying it slowly onto Brutter's lurker balloon.

"Jak!" Keira jumped on with her...grandfathers and held out her hand. "Come on! We'll drop you off at the prison! Ashelin should have gotten the doors open by now, you can save Torn!"

Jak took her hand, and she pulled him up. Just as Brutter was about to get the balloon into the air, a loud, cracking noise echoed through the stadium. They froze, looking in the direction of the barrier. Then an ear-splitting crash followed by the roars of Metal heads signalled that the barrier had fallen.

"Damn! The barrier!" Jak took out his gun as Metal heads poured into the stadium.

* * *

**_"It's your fault..."_**

Torn couldn't see the the destroyed city around him as he ran. Just the endless killing and the flash or dark eco as he killed more and more metal heads. He couldn't control it, but if it was getting him through uninjured, why try?

**_"Everything here..."_**

The voice had appeared not moments after his last dark eco treatment. It was going to drive him insane. It wasn't just speaking to him, it wasn't just an imaginary voice, it was _part_ or him. Part of him that was blaming him, and digging up things that he'd tried so hard to bury...

**_"What Erol became, what Jak became, what she became..."_**

'She' had yet to be named, but Torn knew who it was talking about.

**_"What you became...It's your fault..."_**

_"Stop it! Let him go!!"_

Torn tried his best to ignore the images that flashed in his mind.

_"Torn what are you doing?"_

_"What are YOU doing Erol?!"_

_"I'm trying to do the right thing!"_

He was trying to do the right thing too. But their definitions of the word 'right' were completely different...

_"Stop it!"_

_"Shut up Ashelin! This doesn't concern you!"_

_"Don't you dare touch her!" _

But Ashelin was different now.

_"You were always the one they looked to! I was always 'your companion'! I'm sick of being in your shadow!"_

_"Why don't you do something about it then?! Why don't you do something besides standing around me all the time?!"_

_"I will! And you'll see, when I do, you're going to be the one in the shadows!"_

Heh, if Erol was alive now. Oh what a laugh he would have. In the shadows indeed..."Stop it! I don't want to see this!"

_**"But it's your fault...You turned him into the monster he was..."**_

"No..."

_"I hate you...I hate you so much Torn...I hate you damn it!"_

_"Good then! We're on the same page!"_

Torn wanted to scream...All the blood...

_"What have you done!?"_

_"Ashelin I..."_

_"Get out!"_

_"Ashe-"_

_"GET OUT!!!"_

It was his fault...It was his fault. Erol was dead because of him. Ashelin lost a childhood friend because of him. He lost a friend...Jak was a dark-eco monster because of him. The Dark-Warrior program was his fault. All of this killing was his fault...

**_"It is..."_**

But that was the past. It was his fault, Torn admitted. That was the past, that was when he made the mistakes. The mistakes that he would never be able to re-claim. But this wasn't the past. He wasn't going to run anymore...He had to get to the stadium.

"Torn!! WAIT!"

* * *

Getting the balloon and rift rider was now a life or death situation. Metal heads were coming at them in full force, after the dark-eco in Jak's body. And his ammo was going to run out, soon. Not that they were alone, Lurkers were very fast. They weren't a match for the metal heads, but they helped Jak hold back the hoards of beasts.

"We're gonna die!!" Daxter cried.

"Damn it..." Jak growled. It looked like he'd have to resort to using Dark eco. The last thing he wanted to do, but the metal heads never stopped!

* * *

_**"It would be so easy, to just leave it all behind..."**_

_"Ashelin, I'm sorry..."_

_"Are you really?"_

_"I didn't mean to."_

_"Did you really?"_

_"Ashelin will you stop that?! I'm trying to apologize!"_

_"I know you are."_

_"I was-I was just mad. I don't even know what happened!"_

_"Do you really?"_

_"No! I-I don't... Listen, do you ever get the feeling that...there's something else with you, inside you?"_

_"What are you talking about Torn?"_

_"That's what I feel like! I feel like some times...I just black out, but when I wake up again... It's like what happened with Erol, I just got mad and..."_

_"...Is it really?"_

_**"But you always kept your guard up... I never got to come out and play... I guess I should thank the Baron then."**_

"Shut up."

_**"Why? I'm a part of you, I have just as much a right to speak as you do!"**_

"I said shut up! I'm not listening to you anymore! That's the past, it's GONE!"

_**"...Is it really?" **_

Torn could hear the cries of metal heads, and the high pitched screaming of some one familiar..."We're gonna die!!"

"NO!" Torn slashed through the body of the metal head about to attack Jak and Daxter. They stared at him, jaws to the ground as he quickly blew the rest away.

"T-Torn?!" Jak gasped, staring at the dark eco beast in front of him. Torn spun around glaring with dark eyes. Jak thought that he would be attacked, but suddenly a pair of pale arms wrapped around his waist.

"Torn please!" It was Ashelin. "Stop it!"

Like Ashelin's voice was the secret code, the dark eco around Torn's body disappeared. His eyes reverted back to their normal teal-blue, and his skin collected the smallest bit of color. All his energy seemed to go along with the eco, the adrenaline was gone, and he slumped back in Ashelin's arms. She slowly lowered him to the ground as Jak and Daxter continued staring, at a lose for words.

"What...happened?" Jak asked. He saw how his hair had grown past his shoulders, a strange purple color tinting the ends. "What's wrong with him?"

"Jeez, Jak was in there for two years! He never looked like that when he got out!" Daxter exclaimed.

"It was some crazy plan that my father came up with." Ashelin explained, helping Torn to his feet again. "I think he was planning on using on you Jak, but you escaped. I don't know, the eco he used seemed... Like it was worse than just normal dark eco."

"And so he used it on Torn? But it's only been a week since he was in there!" Jak said.

"He couldn't wait anymore. He knew that the metal heads would break in some time soon, so he kept Torn in that chair for hours at a time, he was trying to get as much eco in him as possible. Dark Jak is still stronger though." Ashelin said.

"Well-Torn, can you hear me?" Jak placed his hands on Torn's shoulders.

"Eh... Huh-what?" Torn shook his head, gaining a bit of strength in his legs.

"Torn! Ashelin!" Keira, and both Samos' appeared behind Jak.

The old sage looked past Jak, analysing Torn's condition. "Such a drastic result, from a mere week?"

"Here, we can help." the younger Samos said. "We are green eco sages after all."

Before Torn could ask what was going on, he was surrounded by a green light, and lifted off the ground a couple inches, and he could feel energy flowing through him again. More than he'd ever felt in more than a week, all the cuts and bruises he'd gained on the way here healed themselves in the bath of green eco. His feet landed on the ground again, and he suddenly turned to Jak and Daxter, smiling.

"Hey, I heared you thought you were going to die." he said, his voice no longer rough and sore. Suddenly he was being squished from behind.

"Torn you idiot! A few weeks ago, I would never be doing this, but-oh my god you're alive!"

"Eck! Jak! I can't-breathe!! Jak!" Torn managed to escape Jak's arms, only to turn around and have another pair of arms close around his waist.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Ashelin said, her grasp getting ever tighter.

"A-Ashelin..."

"I didn't know if you would come back..." Ashelin sniffed quietly.

"I'm sorry to interrupt such a-happy reunion, but we must hurry!" Samos said.

"Yeah, those metal heads are going to find their way back here any minute now! You guys have to go after the Baron!" Keir agreed.

"RIght!" Ashelin suddenly pulled a bag off her back, setting it on the ground, and pulling a gun out of it, throwing it at Torn. "Here, I also brought ammo."

"You're a life saver!" Daxter exclaimed happily as Jak reloaded his own gun. Then something else was shoved into his hands. A purple gun barrel...

"What's this?" Jak asked.

"A peace maker barrel." Torn said after glancing quickly at it. "You're gonna need that."

Jak grinned. He'd seen what a peace maker could do. "Thanks Ashelin."

"No go, hurry!" Ashelin started pushing both boys to Brutters balloon, trying not to notice how could Torn's bare back felt.

"You aren't coming?" Jak asked. Ashelin shook her head.

"I must get back to the palace, before that slimy Vegar gets there." she said.

"Ugh, that guy? Yeah, get going. We'll be okay!" Torn agreed. "Wait! What about-oh." He stopped mid sentence as Ashelin pulled a gun much like Jak's out of the bag.

"I'm covered. Be safe!" she turned around, and ran back in the direction of the palace.

"You to! We'll be back before you know it!" Torn called, then turned to Jak as Brutter's lurker balloon took off. "So..."

"I'm glad you're back Torn." Jak smiled.

"I guess it's glad to be back." Torn replied.

"You guess?! What? We're not better than prison?!" Daxter exclaimed.

"Shut up Daxter! Anything is better than that hell hole!" Torn glared at Daxter, but some how resisted saying 'rat'.

"Well," Jal clapped a hand on Torn's shoulder. "Prison is prison, and that's all in the past now. And the past is gone."

**_"...Is it really?"_**


	9. The Metal Head Nest

Alright, I like to listen to music. In fact, I get kinda depressed without my mp3 player, I listen to it near constantly. So, while I was outside listening to said device, I became DETERMINED to finish this up! So, with that in mind, I waited about 30 minutes before kicking my little sister off and opening up microsoft word... And I decided to put all of the events in the metal head nest into one jumbo chapter! Rift gate and everything (holy cow, I saved my draft and came out with almost 5,300 words on this chapter...). The next chapter SHOULD be the final one, therefore making this a complete story! Yaaaaay! Oh my, and then you get to see why the story was originally called 'I Quit'...

Just a reminder, it's been months since I played the game, so many events in this chapter will obviously have strayed from the game. Just to warn you, I tried to get as much info on it as I could, but walkthroughs are bland... But I did find some rather helpful clips via YouTube...

_**Hey, who would be happy if I put up a preview of the sequel to this story into the next chapter?**_

I don't own Jak and/or Daxter.

Read on!

* * *

It felt strange, running through Haven City with Torn. Not because he was shirt-less (that was part of it) but now, Jak just felt... closer. They both had experienced that same torture, and now they both seemed to be in the same league with each other. Jak could almost feel the dark eco, just below the surface of their skins.

"There should be a door here, it leads to the construction site, and I bet that's where Praxis has run off to." Torn said as they sprinted passed citizens, guards and metal heads alike.

"With the Precursor stone," Jak added.

It was pouring rain by the time they reached the construction site, but not even Daxter seemed to care. They rushed past broken poles and rusting machines that obviously hadn't been used in years, their path lit by dimming lamps. It was a giant ball of relatively shiny looking metal and the Baron himself floating around it that assured them that Torn was correct.

"Praxis!" Jak yelled up at him, pulling his gun off his back and they all glared up at the man.

"Well if it isn't _both _of the eco freaks! And their pet." Praxis smirked. "How do you like my creation?"

"What _is _that? What the hell are you planning to do?" Daxter's jaw dropped as he stared at the device.

"It's a bomb." Torn answered for him.

"That's correct, Torn! By the way, how are you feeling?" Praxis laughed.

"A lot better now that I'm about to rip your head off!" Torn growled, raising his own gun.

"I highly doubt you can." Praxis sneered. "Why do you keep coming back to threaten me, can't you see that I'm you're saviors?"

"Saviors? Blowing up Haven city will save us?"Jak demanded.

"No, no! Not the city, Jak! I plan to use the power of the precursor stone to give my bomb here the power to destroy the metal head nest!"

Jak would have said that it would be no use, but someone else beat him to it.

"You'll do no damage to the metal heads with that bomb, even with the precursor stone. All you will do is provoke the leader into launching a full out attack on your measly city."

"Kor?" Jak's face changed from anger to confusion quicker than a zoomer changed hover levels. "What are you doing here? What are you talking about?"

Kor paid no attention to Jak, stopping at the old wooden steps.

"What's an old man like you know? Fool, you don't know what you're talking about!" Praxis glared at Kor. "I will destroy every trace of metal heads there is!"

"Baron Praxis, you are the fool." Jak and Torn took a step back, leaning away from Kor when his voice suddenly became much larger and menacing. "Someone like you cannot possibly hope to defeat me!"

Jak almost dropped his gun as he watched huge insect-like wings sprout from Kor's back, his body quickly transforming into something much more gruesome. He jumped from the steps, effectively breaking them, and landed not ten meters from Jak. Then, before anyone could say anything, Kor shot a blast of white-purple energy at Praxis, knocking him out of the air.

"He's... the metal head leader?" Daxter gasped. Torn's heart rate climbed as the metal head that most likely just killed the Baron rounded on them. He gulped.

"Let that be a lesson to you and your people. No one can oppose me!" Then with another great jumped, Kor flapped his wings and began to fly away, in the direction of the metal head nest. "I will get what I want!"

"Kor was a spy? But... that's impossible!" Jak stared off at Kor's quickly shrinking shape in the distance. "But we told him so much, and he helped us!"

"We can't think about that now." Torn's voice was strained, and he was just beginning to shiver now that the rain had lightened considerably. "...Is he dead?"

Jak slowly approached the Baron, he was lying in a pile of rubble, half covered by a plank of wood. He shoved the wood away, and saw that he was breathing very heavily and slowly, muttering something. Jak bent down next to him, leaning closer. "What?"

"Take it... destroy them..." Praxos pressed on something clutched in his hands, and the bomb stared to partially unfold itself, revealing a bright glowing stone. The Precursor stone. "Save... city..."

"Daxter, can you get to it?" Jak asked quietly.

"No problem!" Daxter leaped off his shoulder, crawling under and inside the bomb. "Okay, let's cut this one... and this one... Which one will let it go? The red one or the blue one? Wait, are ottsels colour blind?"

"Daxter?"

"Let me just break some more things here and see if anything happens..."

"Daxter..."

"Just kidding!" Suddenly, the precursor stone flew off the top of the bomb and Daxter landed in front of the bomb safely with it in his arms. "Like candy from a baby!"

"We should go. We don't have much time left now, if we don't get there in time, all of our efforts will be wasted." Torn said, his face nothing but determination.

* * *

Rain, metal head nests and dirt, _did not mix. _This, Torn now knew. And it was uncomfortable. Especially since he was shirtless. He shivered ever so slightly as he wiped sweat and hair from his forehead. Oh, if only Ashelin had brought him a shirt... Soon though, something large, red and incredibly rusted came into view.

In Jak's mind, this was Mar's gun.

In Torn's mind, this was a form of _shelter._

And this would be the thing that they would use in order to gain a path farther into the nest. But as they climbed their way up to the controls, something in Jak's pocket vibrated, making quiet buzzing noises. Ashelin's mini-communicator.

"Jak..." Ashelin's voice was sketchy beneath the static.

"Ashelin?" What's going on?" Torn took the communicator from Daxter.

"The shield walls... been destroyed, there's not... hope..."

"No..." Torn shook his head, and Jak slowed his advance.

"It's only a matter of time before... Metal heads over through us... Torn... don't come back here, you should just... with Jak..."

"Ashelin, you know I can't do that!"

"Jak. Go through the rift... to your own time..." Ashelin continued. "Don't bother with... horrible place..."

"Ashelin!"

"I... kinda agree with ya," Daxter said, turning from the gun. " Let's go Jak."

"We'll... out as long as... can... Jak, Torn... Farewell." The communicator shut off, Ashelin's voice disappearing.

"Ashe- Ashelin!" Torn shook the device, trying to turn it back on. He slammed his fist against the gun. "Damn it!"

"Wait, do we have to take Torn with us?" Daxter suddenly asked.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Torn shouted, rounding on the pair. "And neither are you!"

"What, you want us to die?" Daxter retorted.

"No! Nobody's gonna die, damn it! If you think that- that after everything we've done so far, every mess you've dragged us into, that you are just going to leave, then you're wrong, and you'd better get something through your thick heads!"

"Torn," Jak stepped forward, trying to speak softly. "Ashelin said-"

"I don't care what Ashelin said! Haven City is my home! I've risked my life hundreds of times trying to protect it, and I'm not going to stop now. Ashelin said that she would hold out as long as possible, we have time! We should take that time and get this done!" The sound of rain on metal was the only sound. Torn's gaze fell to his feet as he bit his lip. "I know that Sandy Village, or what ever it was called, is your home. And I know that you want to go back there with Keira, and Samos.. But Haven City, it's technically still your home to, just not as... Didn't you say that you were going to do what ever it takes to protect the things you love? When you joined the Underground... you seemed like that person, even though I gave off the assumption that I really, _really _disliked you," He lifted his head to meet Jak's eyes. "I think that, now, someone might go as far as to say we're... friends. And don't tell me you would just leave your friends behind to die?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, did Torn just... did he-" Daxter looked rapidly between Jak and Torn.

Jak smiled. "Torn, you're right." Torn's face was hopeful. "This place is worth fighting for." He shoved the Precursor stone into the gun, and it almost immediately started glowing. Mar's gun vibrated. "Stone, gun," Jak turned towards the nest, grinning like a madman. "Nest!" And so, the wall separating them from the inner parts of the metal head nest was blown to smoldering bits.

"Hell yeah!" Daxter shouted, jumping onto Jak's shoulder. "Let's go kick some metal head ass!"

"Don't worry, Ashelin," Torn muttered to himself. "I'm comin' back..."

* * *

"How are we going to defeat Kor?" Torn suddenly asked. "Eh, _Commander?_"

"Ashelin gave us enough extra ammo, I hope. But Metal heads have a habit of dropping some if we need it." Jak started, his voice both serious and unsure. "That, and I think we have enough strength to get rid of his subordinates, and if worse comes to worse..." he shrugged and trailed off.

Dark eco, Torn thought. This, he was unsure about, he didn't have as much control with dark eco as Jak seemed to. But hey, Jak was the Commander.

They slowed their advance through the nest partly because the mud and water was making the land increasingly treacherous, and more and more metal heads appeared to block their path. And, as Jak had said earlier, Torn found that their dropping of ammo was very peculiar. It made him wonder how exactly these metal heads had gotten a hold of it... Or if their bodies just produced ammo... Was that even possible?

Not to mention the dark eco that fell in sticky looking blobs when certain beasts were killed. Torn bit his lip when the dark eco seemed to float towards them, like they were giant magnets, and their skins glowed purple for a split second before a short surge of power went through his body. Everything felt lighter, and sounds echoed more during this short time, like his dark side was gaining more and more power with each piece of eco his body absorbed.

"WHOA! Would you look at the size of _that _thing!" Daxter suddenly yelled, pointing to something that was ever so slowly coming over a hill. Torn would have to have craned his neck as far back as it would go to look at it if he were nearer to it. Thankfully, he wasn't.

"We don't have to take that one down, do we?" he asked, taking in the bolts of electricity that burst from the metal heads sides every few seconds or so.

"Eh..." Jak paused. The thing was huge, heavy, mean looking, covered from head to toe in some form of armor, looked like a giant turtle, shook the ground with every step it took, shot electricity to the ground up to five meters away, ugly, and just downright mean looking. "If it doesn't bother us, I'd like to not waste our ammo on it..."

And so, after the minutes took to skirt around the giant turtle, as dubbed by Daxter, the trio was once again on the move... Almost.

"Daxter! This isn't the time to fool around! Get up!" Torn growled at the orange animal after he fell from Jak's shoulder, a close encounter with lightning having surprised him.

"It wasn't my fault! Oh, now I'm dirty and sticky, and-oh this is going to take forever to get out, and-"

"Jeez..." Torn sighed and picked the ottsel out of the mud by his ears. "We should be almost there by now." As he turned around, and walked straight into Jak's back, dropping Daxter back into the mud. "Huh? Why'd you stop?"

Jak was glancing around a corner, before turning back to his companions. "We're here," he said, barely audible. Daxter stopped his complaining, and Torn pursed his lips, a heavy feeling suddenly appearing in his chest.

The cave was glowing purple and green, and white if they squinted. Needless to say, the shadow they could see on the ground was very large and disfigured looking. Kor was waiting for them.

"Get ready."

The cave itself was fairly large but the center of it was taken up by what looked like a bottomless hole. Glowing green plats lined the walls like outside, will strange looking bulbs were releasing a faint purple light. The real source of light, however, was the rift gate on the far wall. It was open, and Torn almost could stop looking at the purple and white gas-looking substance that spilled from the ring. Floating in front of the rift ring in a black-purple orb, was a small boy, sleeping, by the look of it. And floating just in front the boy was the Metal head leader, Kor.

He laughed as they arrived, his tail curling around the child in the orb. "So you've finally come, and you've brought the Precursor stone as well! The boy will finally play his part."

"I don't think so, Kor. Not this time!" Jak glared, holding the stone close.

"Oh, but he has such a big part in this, a big part of _you!_ Don't you recognize him?" Jak's expression became confused. "This boy is _you_, Jak!"

"Wh-what?" Daxter, Jak and Torn said simultaneously, each wide eyed.

"And this place," Kor gestured around himself. "This is where the whole story began!"

"You're lying! That's impossible!" Jak shouted, glancing at the roft ring and Kor.

"But it's true! You were hidden in the past in some fool hope that you would gain the necessary skills to defeat me today! But, haha, Onin was wrong!"

"Onin? She-planned all this?" Daxter was in some form of shock, frozen on Jak's shoulder.

"That old hag didn't foresee enough! Now that you've been altered by the dark eco, the stone will never open for you!" Kor laughed. "But your younger self! Oh, he still has the pure touch, and only he can unlock the stone, and the Precursor hidden within!"

"This stone... is a precursor?" Jak examined to stone.

"It is the _last _Precursor egg!" Kor corrected. "Mar was a clever man, hiding this last egg from me, and building the walls and city around it to protect it. It has been a long time, so many long years of war and death... But today -today I shall have the power of the last Precursor being!"

Daxter shook his head quickly. "Yeah, I think you're forgetting one think, Crazy-Metal-o-Freak-o, we have the Precursor stone!"

"Not for long!" The gem on Kor's head started to shine brightly, collecting power.

Torn jumped away just before a shot of energy rushed towards them, landing on the ground hard but effectively escaping before the wall behind Jak and Daxter was shattered, the rubble covering the pair. "Jak! Daxter!" He gasped as Kor rounded on him, scrambling backwards. "Crap..."

"And you... You've no part- Huh?" Kor turned back to the pile of rubble. A second passed before the rocks shook, and a pale, clawed hand burst from the top of the pile followed immediately by none other than Dark Jak, Daxter on his shoulder.

"Haha! Thought you could get rid of us that easily, huh? We-hell, think again!" Daxter laughed, grinning as Jak reverted and readied his gun.

"Torn, what are you doing? Get up!" Jak called, Kor growled angrily.

"Huh? Right!" Torn grabbed his gun from the strap on his back, preparing for what would most likely be one of the toughest fights in his life.

"Ergh, it doesn't matter what powers you may have, you will never defeat me!"

What really grossed Torn out during this fight was not the strange, slimy looking ropes that gave Kor the ability to float above their heads, but that fact that every time the giant metal head shook his tail, about a dozen... things fells to the ground. He later learned that these were metal head eggs, and they hatched _quickly. _While Jak was busy trying to shoot Kor without taking too much damage himself, here he was, shooting a bunch of eggs that looked like some form of mixture of phlegm and rotten milk. He tried his best regardless to keep the little buggers from hatching before he could shoot them, as not only did they like do bite his ankles, but Jak was having a hard enough time already without them.

"Just keep shootin' at 'im, Jak! He'll wear out eventually!" Daxter encouraged as Jak jumped to avoid another energy blast.

"It's no use, he just keeps healing himself..." Torn muttered. He glanced at Jak at the opposite side of the room. He took his chance now to shoot at the remaining eggs on his tail. "I guess I'll have to distract him enough so he can get a good shot..."

Jak was running in his direction again, seeming as if he was indeed trying to wear the Metal Head leader's energy out. Running around a cave in circles usually did that to a person... Or spinning, in Kor's case. "Jak! I'm gonna distract him, hopefully long enough that you can find a weakness."

"No matter what you try against me, it will never work! You've already run out of time!" Kor laughed maniacally and tried to shoot them both at the same time, but missing.

"Hey, Kor! Over here ya slimy bastard!" Torn waved his gun in the air, gaining a small bit of his attention. "I got something t'tell you!"

Jak bit his lip, he wasn't going to start insulting Kor now, was he? Try not to do anything overly stupid, Torn, he thought.

"Jak, look for an opening!" Daxter squinted at the beast. "Can you see anything that wouldn't heal relatively fast?"

"Hn..." Jak watched as more metal head eggs fell from Kor's tail. "The underside of his tail might-"

"You're a sick person, Jak."

"Shut up. I'm going for it." He took aim while at the same time, watching Torn jump from side to side, throwing random insults at Kor and explaining how his plan had 'gone to shit'. Oh, very original. At least he was distracted...

"Grah!" Kor spun around to face him, his tail twitching rather grossly. "You, eco _freak, _are a sick person." he said before attempting to hit Jak.

"Told ya..." Daxter muttered.

"Get off my back. Damn it, how does he keep healing himself?"

"Your puny attempts of defeating me have thus far been useless. Why haven't you given up yet?" Kor asked, chuckling.

"Jeez, Kor," Jak smiled, raising his gun. He had an idea. It involved the strange green rope like things attaching Kor to the ceiling, ammo, and a corny line. "Haven't you realized yet? I'm the hero of this story. And I got one thing to say to you... I will _never _back down to the likes of you." His eyes met with Torn's, and he nodded to the ceiling. He got the message.

"Die!" Kor launched an attack at him.

"Ah, shaddap!" Daxter waved his hand as Jak rolled and shot the ropes, Torn doing the same.

"Damn you..." Kor's small wings began to flap unusually -and bordering on stupidly- hard as he was no longer attached to the ceiling. As Jak took aim once again, Kor laughed. "If you are indeed the hero, then I am obviously the villain-"

"Took you that long to figure it out?" Daxter smirked.

"-And the villain always has something up his sleeve!" He jumped away from Jak, landing on the other side of the cave, just behind Torn. Torn didn't have time to react before a claw was wrapped around his neck and he was lifted off the ground, his gun falling dangerously close to falling down the bottomless hole in the middle of the cave. "Shoot me, if you dare. And he'll pay the price."

Torn grasped the claw around his neck, trying to pry it open enough to get air through, his legs kicking uselessly.

"Crap, Torn!" Jak had no choice but to lower his gun, peace-maker and all. "Put him down!"

"Why do they always say that when they know it will never happen?" Kor laughed, tightening his grip on Torn, making the teen gasp in pain.

"Do something Jak, he gettin' killed over there!" Daxter urged, his smirk long gone. Torn was getting weaker by the second, it seemed, struggling less and less.

"So, shall I just kill this boy now, or do you want to reconsider?" Kor laughed, Jak only glared. He couldn't attack without killing Torn in the process.

"Don't, Jak..." Torn gasped, his voice was high pitched and quivering as he struggled for air, lifting his head slightly. "Don't do what he asks..."

"Shut up, boy, or I won't wait long enough for his answer before snapping your neck. Hell, why am I even waiting?" His voice went from confident to confused as Torn laughed quietly. "What's so funny?"

"I think... you forgot... one thing, Kor..." Torn laughed again. "Something... else to add... to our corny line collection... The villain... always ends up... dropping the hostage... So, with that in mind... put me down... before I make you."

"Torn, what are you doing?" Jak shouted. "Stop provoking him!"

"What are you talking about, boy?"

"I said... Put. Me. _Down._" Purple electricity shot through his body, over his skin and Kor held him farther away. His eyes changed from icy blue to deep black, his skin became pale, hair to grayish purple, finger nails to claws, and before Jak knew it, Dark Torn was ripping the claw that held him in the air clean off Kor's body. Jak and Daxter's faces had disgust written all over them as some kind of black goo oozed from the wound - metal head blood, presumably. Kor roared in pain and anger as Dark Torn flipped away with a growl of his own.

"Jeez, he almost as bad as you, Jak! Remind me not to piss him of either." Daxter said as Jak sighed with relief. He advanced slowly towards the two beasts on the other side of the room. Hoping that, one, Dark Torn wouldn't be aggravated with his presence and attack him instead, and that Kor would be focused enough on said boy so that Jak could finish him off.

"Kor, for years upon years upon _years _you've been waging war against Haven City. And you knew damn well that I'd be coming back to get you, but you had too much of an ego to care about what strength I'd have gained, or what companions might be at my side." Kor was faltering, trying to deal with his injury, Dark Torn's relentless attacks, and Jak's advance. "And now look where that's gotten you. You've gotten everything wrong, Kor. Except the hero and villain, of course, but you missed out on something." He raised his peace-maker with a triumphant smile. "Good _always _triumphs over evil."

Kor roared in pain as he fell to the ground, blue electricity running through his body, with the occasional purple spark. Soon, his scratchy voice died away and he was nothing but a corpse covered in black and purple slime.

"Ha, what a catch this'll be!" Daxter cheered.

Jak stepped carefully around the dead beast to Torn. He'd fallen to his knees upon reverting, his energy spent. Eyes half-lidded, he rubbed his neck where Kor had held him. "It's over, right?" He asked, looking up at Jak.

"Yeah, we won." Jak smiled wearily, lifting Torn to his feet.

"Still can't believe he's you," Torn commented. Jak was about to ask what he was talking about before he gestured to Kid Jak, who had woken up and was inspecting the Precursor stone with bent down to touch it, and fell back when something blue and shining bright suddenly flew out of it, uncurling itself to a figure of a man.

"A precursor..." Jak gazed in awe.

The Precursor began to speak in a deep, calm voice as it floated above them. "It has been done. Our ancient enemy has been defeated. Rejoice, hero, the terrible darkness inside of you has been balanced with a pure light." The form started to float away into the rift ring, and before disappearing, said "We will meet again."

Torn was a little late on the uptake. "A... Precursor?"

"Guys! You're alright!" Everyone turned to see Kiera waving to them from Butter's lurker balloon. "We don't have much time, I've already set the coordinates back to the village. Let's go home, everyone... Of course," she looked to Torn. "If you want to come too, I don't think the city..."

"I have to stay." Torn replied softly, shaking his head. "I won't leave Ashelin behind, alone."

"Well then," she seemed hesitant. "Jak?"

"But, we're already home." Jak said, a small smile on his lips.

"Kiera, I think that your rift rider must be used to sent Young Jak here back to the past. He needs to become strong enough to complete the destiny that has been laid out for him." Samos said, lifting the small boy onto the platform.

"W-wait a minute!" The younger Samos approached him. "It's you! Or, me! I have have to go back with him and watch over him, don't I?" The older Samos nodded. "Aw, well talk about being at the wrong time at the right place." Older Samos chuckled.

"Hey, Kid." Jak smiled and set a hand on his younger self. "Be careful, okay? And what ever you do, _don't _go near _any _wumpbee nest on your ninth birthday, got that?" Torn snorted while Kid Jak nodded fast.

"I sure hope I built this rider right," Kiera said while Kid Jak ripped something from around his neck and handed it to his older self.

"Relax, Kiera, this is the very rift rider that we found in the past... Or will find, I guess." Her father reassured.

Kiera's face became intensely worried and confused. "B-but I just built this! It's base off what I remember from the last one! How-"

"Honey," Daxter cut her off. "The more you think about it, the more it hurts the head."

"I don't even want to try..." Torn muttered.

The rift rider started to float, quickly gaining altitude. Young Samos waved from his seat. "I'll take good care of him, don't you worry!" He called, Kid Jak waved happily from his seat. "And I'll be back in time for the party! Farewell!"

And then he was gone in a flash of white, the rift ring falling apart on itself.

"It's funny," Samos said as he stepped beside Jak. "The boy won't remember any of this when he's older."

"No..." Jak watched the last piece fall, the purple-white mist disappearing. "I do remember the light..."

"What? Of course you remember it, you _just _saw it!" Torn gave him a 'well, duh' look, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

"No, I mean, when I first went through the ring." Jak clarified.

This did nothing. "What do you mean? How could you have gone through _that _rift if you're-"

"Hey, hey, remember what I just said?" Daxter cut him off too. "The more you think about it-"

"Shut up, Daxter." Torn waved him off. "Can we go home now?"

"Hell yes, we can!" Jak jumped onto the lurker balloon. "Can this get us back? I'm ready to kick some more metal head ass."

Kiera laughed, and the balloon started to rise again.

And all the while, Torn had chosen to ignore the fact that the Precursor that had spoken to Jak had said that Jak was now balanced, but said nothing about his own darkness.

* * *

It was only when Torn arrived back in Haven city and came face to face with a port full of Krimzon Guards and metal heads that he remembered something of vital importance.

"I forgot my gun in the metal head nest."


End file.
